Game trap



June 5, 1928. 1,672,051

L. A. BEARDSLEY GAMEV TRAP Filed April 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR5575/? A 5 4 @smv Patented June 5, 1928. I

UNITED `STATES v y 1,672,051 PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER A. BEARDSLEY, OF NORWICH, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NORWICH. WmWORKS, INC., OF NORWICH, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GAME TRAP.

j Application filed April 3,

provide a new and improved trap of exceed-l ingly simple constructionwherein the number of operative parts is reduced to a minimum, therebyreducing thecost of production. v

Another object of'the inventionis to provide a trap of the coll springtype, wherein a lever 'formed by an extension ofthe spring,y

provides an actuating member'for the jaws of the trap, the. constructionof the said lever being such that both jawsof the trap will lie in thesamev horizontal plane when the trap is in set condition and in a planesub stantially parallel with the pan of the trap.

vide a trap of the above character, in which the cost of assembly isreducedto a minimum. Y y 'l .l

Other objects and aims of theninvention, more or lessspecific than thosereferred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out inthecourse of the following description of the element-s, combinations,arrangements of parts and application of principles, constituting theinvention; and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated inthe appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated preferred formsof embodiments of my invention, l j i Figure 1 is a top plan viewshowing one embodiment of my improved trap in unset condition. v

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a portion of the trap. v

y Figure 3 is -a top plan view of theftrap, showing the same in setcondition. I j

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken in line 4 4 of Fig. 3through thetrap look-v ing in the direction of the arrow.

Figure jis atop plan viewv showinganother embodimentv of improved trapin unset condition. l Y i 'y j Figure 6 is an elevational viewof a,portionofthetrap. j Y" l M .Figure 7 is a top plan view ofthe trapshowing inset condition, and

A further object of the invention isto pro-y 1926. ser'iai No. 99,505.

Figure 8 is a view taken on the line 8-8 ofFigure 7 looking in thedirection of the arrows. f

Referring now to the drawings, particularly to the embodiment of myinvention disclosed in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the refer, ence numeral1 denotes the base or Ifoundation of the trap, 2 the cross piece `whichis anchored to the foundation intermediateits ends, as by means of therivet 3. r1`he cross pieceV 2 which is preferably flanged upwardly togive it strength and stiffness, extends laterally of the trap and isprovided at its outer end with an upwardly extending flange 4, uponwhich is -pivotally mounted a,

detent 5. Pivotally mounted upon the pin 6 which extends throughtheianges 7 and 8 of the cross piece, isan arm Y9, upon which is mountedthe pan 10 of the trap. The arm 9 is recessed at 11 to form the shoulder12, under which thev detent 5 is receivedl when they trap is set.

' The reference numerals 13 and 14 denote the jaws of the trap, whichjaws having formed upon their end portions the pintles 15 and 16'respectively, are received in apertures formed in upwardly extendingflanges -17 and 18 provided respectively upon the outer ends of thefoundation 1.

As thusfar described, this trap does not differ ymaterially from otherwell known forms of gametraps.

Referring now to the actuating means for the aws of the trap, thereference numeral 19 denotes a coil spring formed of a single length ofspring wire; the inner ends 20 and 21 of which lie adjacent each otherand ex! tend through an aperture'22 formed in the base or foundation 1.

These ends 20 and 21'of the spring after extending through the aperture22 of the foundation, arebent to extend forwardly as clearly shown inFigure 2 of the drawing.

A The intermediateportions of the length of wire out of'which thespring19 is formed, are fashioned into a lever 23; the legs 24 and'25 ofsaid lever crossing 'each other at the point 26 adjacent the coil spring19, the lever which is in the form of a loop extending upwardly andrearwardly to receive the legs 27 and 28l of the jaws 13 and 14respectively. The vlegs 27 and 28 of the jaws 13 and 14 are providedwith gradually sloping shoulders29 and 30 which are adapted to be engaged vby side membersl. and 32 of the lever 23, so that when the trapis sprung, the said side members traversing the inclined shoulders 29and 3() ot the jaws, will move later into closed position as indicatedin Figures 1 and 2. The engagement of the jaws with each other or withthe leg'or other part ot the anatomy ot' the animal takes place beforethe side members of the lever 23 reach the outer ends oi the shoulders29 and 30. The spring 19, it willbe noted, is under constantl tensionbetween its anchorage in the intermediate portion oi' the foundation 1and the point oi engageincnt ot' the lever 23 with -the trap jaws.

In setting the trap, the lever 23 is swung downwardly by the trapagainst the tension of the coil spring 19, whereby the jaws 13 and 14will swing downwardly. The detent 5 is then swung over the jaw 14 andtheend of said Idetent caught under the shoulder 12 of the panarm 9. Thetrap will then be in set condition and pressure on the pan 10 will causeit to swing downwardly, thereby releasing the detent 5, whereupon thelever 23,

impelled by the spring 19, will swing the jaws upwardly to closedposition.

'In the art ott trapping, it is quite essential that the jaws lie in thesame horizontal plane when the trap is in set position, and in a planesubstantially parallel with that of the pan. It will be noted that whenthe trap is set and the jaw 14 held in locked position against thetensionot the spring 19, there is a tendency to give the lever 23 alateral twist or torque, the eifect of which would ordinarily be to.carry the side piece 32 oit said lever upwardly and thus elevate thetree jaw 13 of the trap into a plane higher than the plane of the lixedaw, and inclined with respect thereto. In bending the intermediateportion 'of the spring wire therefore, the bending is soaccomplishedthat the side piece32 of thelever 23 will lie slightly belowthe plane of the side piece 31 of said lever,

so that the slight twist imparted to the lever 23. due to the holdingofthespring under tension by the detent 5, will carry the side piece 32of said lever into a planeI parallel with` that of the side piece 31 ofsaid lever.

Thus,y both the locked and free jaws will have' their working faces insubstantially the same horizontal plane when the trap is set. AReferring now to the embodiment ofI my sive, the construction ot thefoundation, the jaws,.'the mounting for the later, the cross piece andassociated pan and detent, are substantially identical with theconstruction oit the iirst described embodiment of my invention. `Theactuating spring is however of a somewhat different character, theconstruction of which will now be described. This spring designated bythe'numeral .33 is compri-sed of a piece of spring wire formed into theloop 34, each leg of the spring near its tion as in the lirst describedembodiment of the invention. It will be noted that the coils 35 rand 36extend inwardly from the legs 39 and 40 of the spring.v Leg 39 of thespring 33 has formed therein the depression 41, and the leg` 40 of saidspring has formed therein, the raised portion or protuberance 42; saidparts oit the spring being so relatively located that when the trap isset, the leg 23 of the locked. jaw 14 will rest in the depression 41 andthe leg 27 of the jaw 13 will engage with the protuberance.

The construction just described accomplishes the same vresultas isaccomplished by the disposition ofthe legs 31 and 32 of the actuatingspring in the first described embodiment et the invention, that is tosay, the depression 41 and the protuberance 42 compensate for thelateral twist or torque given the spring by reason of the leg 39 thereofbeing restrained by thelocked ljaw 14; the arrangements of the partsbeing such that the jaws will lie in substantially a parallel plane andin a with that of the pan 10 when the trap is in set condition.

In the present embodiments of my invention, the foundation 1 ispreferably formed with a circular depression 43 intermediate its endsdirectly underneath the coils of the spring 19, the latter lying in saiddepression in the irst described embodiment of the invention, andunderneath the coils 35'and 36 oi' thespring in thek last describedembodiment thereof.l

In as much. as a portion of the pan 10 of the trap overlies the coils ofthek actuating spring, the locating ot said coil in the depressionv 43permits the pan to be given a lower position with respect to the trapthan coil spring through the aperture formed in the base plate of thetrap, insert the legs of the jaws through the loop formed in theactuating lever and then spring the pintlesv of the trap jaws into theapertures formed' in the upwardlyv extending `flanges of the foundation1, whereupon the trap is in operative position. It will accordingly beseen that there are really but two operations necessary in assemblingthis trap. Moreover, the trap is composed 'of aminimum number of parts.

As many changes could bemade in this construction without departing.fromf the scope of the following claim, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingshall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desiretosecurejby Letters Patent, is I The combination in a game trap, of abase plate having jaws pivotally mounted thereon, a coil spring formedof a single length of spring wire, the ends of which adjacent the coilpart of the spring are brought together and extended forwardly and thendownwardly through an aperture `formed in the intermediate lportion ofthe base plate and yformn an anchorage for vthe spring, the o theintermediate portion of said said intermediatey portion of the wireform-k ing a loop adapted to receive the legs of the trap jaws, one ofthe legs of said loop en- Y same is set, the other leg of said'loopengaging the ree jaw, and the leg of said loop kgaging the locked jaw.of the trap when the u

